Thoughts on alcohol?

rafaelito

I'm studying for the September LSATs with a full-time job. Any thoughts on cutting out alcohol entirely. Do people think casually drinking negatively impacts our ability to retain information? I'm talking about drinking on the weekends (getting drunk max once) and maybe a beer or a glass or two of wine on a weekday.

I'm thinking about cutting it out entirely but it helps a lot to relax and lower anxiety. Any one else contemplating this?

BruiserWoods

Ok. So. I tried cutting alcohol completely, and found that it was honestly stressing me out more than just having a drink or two every now and then. I am a few years out of college, so alcohol hits me harder the next day than it used to. I don't exceed 3 drinks per night on the nights that I do drink. But, of course, everyone's body is different.

I do find a glass of wine or a couple beers after a long study day is helpful, though.

Cant Get Right

I cycle through phases with my LSAT prep which kind of dictates my answer to this.

Phase 1 is off time. I do maybe 1 PT a week to stay sharp and other than that I don’t LSAT at all. During phase 1 I can do pretty much whatever I want.

Phase 2 is study time, but like a normal person. I do my PT plus drills and Game fool proofing, I revisit curriculum if I need to, and whatever else may seem prudent. During a phase 2 period I’ll let myself have a drink or two at the end of the day if I want. No more than that though.

Then there’s phase 3. This is hardcore LSAT beast mode. It is highly structured and I maintain strict discipline in every aspect of my life. It’s very Kung Fu, and it goes way beyond LSAT. It’s a living philosophy: Through mastering the LSAT, I seek to master my self. It’s almost a spiritual thing, very intense. I am still very much a student in self mastery, and I am not able to maintain this very long- usually a week or so. I once went a month though, and it was maybe the most productive month of my life. It was during this time that I broke the 160s plateau. So back to the point, lol, it probably goes without saying that no alcohol whatsoever in phase 3.

I know this goes way beyond the scope of your question, @RafaelBernard , but for me it has been good to be flexible on the question of alcohol, among other things.

BruiserWoods

@"Cant Get Right" said:
among other things

Cant Get Right

@BruiserWoods , don’t be jealous ’cause I’ve been chatting online with babes all day.

BruiserWoods

@"Cant Get Right" said:
don’t be jealous

I am. *searches for more babes to chat with*

davi2526

Obviously we're all different, but I took the test last December after a couple months of studying and drank frequently during that time. Then, I took the test again in Feb, and I'd cut alcohol out completely for about a month or so before the second test, and did a bit worse. I blame most of that on burnout (had basically been studying LSAT for 4 or 5 months at that point - my PTs the last couple weeks all of sudden went down, which only compounded the burnout-related stress), but perhaps some of it has to do with changing things up.

Long story short - if you're doing well on your PTs and happen to drink sometimes, it's probably fine. Boozing and studying hungover isn't good, but in my experience, going sober for a few months isn't going to suddenly make your memory (or your LSAT ability) a lot better.

donyaaaa

I also work full-time. Two weeks ago I cut out alcohol completely and upped my physical activity. Keeps my mind sharp and my body even healthier than before. I 100% recommend!

Accounts Playable

I haven't had a drink in about a month, and I'm not going to have another drink until after D-Day.

Chipster Study

At the decided risk of being a killjoy, the data are clear that alcohol negatively impacts memory retention and learning. If you were my patient, I would counsel no alcohol.

runiggyrun

@"Chipster Study" said:
the data are clear that alcohol negatively impacts memory retention and learning.

Can't disagree with an actual physician about data!
It's been my experience that drinking in the evenings just makes everything harder the next day - not just retention, but motivation, energy, mental clarity, the whole nine yards (the effects have gotten worse as I got older, so your mileage may vary).
That being said, anxiety is also likely to lower performance, and you might want to settle for less than optimal learning as a trade for feeling better and more like yourself. I'm sure some people would say that you shouldn't need alcohol to feel better and less anxious and instead you should exercise, meditate, do yoga and charity work and eat plenty of organic fruits and vegetables, but part of the fun of being a grown up is that you get to choose your own way of doing things and sometimes being all good all the time is kind of boring.
You've got some time till September, so you could try a couple of weeks with no alcohol, and see how it goes - maybe you'll find that you're not as wound up as you thought, and you like the fresher feeling in the morning.

nantesorkestar

O'Douls?


Just kidding

galantwhiteandblue

Maybe drink earlier in the day? Don't people say that sleeping is very important for LSAT? The scientific stuff that says alcohol before bed actually makes you rest less well.

Alejandro

I have barely drunk over the past 15 months - such a loser I know. I also know that I'm going to get shmammered right after I take the test though

Cant Get Right

Monday, June 6

Will Giron

Haven't had a drink in 6 years and I can tell you it has definitely improved my quality of life as well as my study abilities. It's also given me a bigger wallet. Not to sound dogmatic but if someone is feeling anxious after not drinking for a bit that could be a sign of something much more serious.

That being said, I would hold off on the alcohol a few days before the LSAT. Alcohol isn't good if you want to get a goodnight's sleep and the effects on memory retention and learning definitely linger. I'd suggest rather than having a nightcap you have a celebratory drink after you take the test.

rakinalikhan

1 shot, 2 shot, 3 shot, floor.

Nicole Hopkins

@"Chipster Study" said:
At the decided risk of being a killjoy, the data are clear that alcohol negatively impacts memory retention and learning. If you were my patient, I would counsel no alcohol.

Ditto.

Quick Silver

I would maybe cut it out a week or two before the Exam (I tried 2 months and don't think it's necessary - two weeks worked for my best score). As for the long term study plan, Be your own judge - light hangovers will affect the quality of your studying that day as well as your PTs.

MrSamIam

For some reason alcohol doesn't have much of an effect on me. That said, I would still refrain from drinking. Or, reduce your alcohol intake as much as possible. As I'm sure you know, alcohol can have adverse effects on the brain.
I would assume that having a beer or two once every two weeks should be okay. Like @"Quick Silver" said, stop drinking a few weeks before the test.

rafaelito

Thanks for all the responses! I was waiting for an email to tell me people had responded...but it never came. Good thing I looked here. ha!

Anyway, I'm glad to know others have critically evaluated their drinking habits in relation to studying for the LSAT. I am a couple years out of school and feel way older when it comes to drinking. I think I might allow for a glass or two of wine about once a week and perhaps cut it out completely as the test-date gets closer. I just woke up Monday morning with the worst hangover and I hadn't had a hang over in a really long time! It was a wake-up call.

But I'm only human. It's easy to overindulge when you're under so much pressure (albeit self-imposed) - you just want to let loose! But moderation and discipline is key, especially during such strenuous times.

Happy studying!

Cant Get Right

@RafaelBernard said:
moderation and discipline is key

I’m thinking about getting a face tattoo of this.

@RafaelBernard said:
I was waiting for an email to tell me people had responded...but it never came.

If you ever want email notifications, just click the star at the top right and it’ll let you know. And that goes for your own threads and others. So if you see one that looks relevant and want to get notifications, just star it and you’re good.

BruiserWoods

@"Cant Get Right" said:
I’m thinking about getting a face tattoo of this.

not trying to control your body or anything. but pls don't.

Cant Get Right

kokobazooka

@"Cant Get Right" mind sharing what phase 3 looks like? =D

Cant Get Right

Haha, I'll try @kokobazooka .

Cant Get Right

@kokobazooka . Here are some Shaolin monks doing their thing. I can't do anything even remotely analogous, but this is the idea:

Nicole Hopkins

@RafaelBernard said:
I just woke up Monday morning with the worst hangover and I hadn't had a hang over in a really long time!

It only gets worse.

nickott10

I cut out alcohol entirely during my LSAT preparation and found that it worked best for me. I was always energetic during my study sessions (especially on the weekends), and felt my mind was clear. May be a personal preference, but I believe it helped me.

stepharizona

As an 80s kid all I have to say is D.A.R.E. to say No!

gaohaoyu

I cut off alcohol entirely, but still smoke weed before going to bed

Nicole Hopkins

@gaohaoyu said:
I cut off alcohol entirely, but still smoke weed before going to bed

Wow, definitely wouldn't post THAT in a public forum as a hopeful law school admit/attorney.